Wikipedia

Closed session of the United States Congress

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Evil Monkey (talk | contribs) at 20:03, 2 November 2005 ({{merge|Closed sessions of the United States Senate}}). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

A closed session (formally a session with closed doors) is a parliamentary procedure in the Standing Rules of the United States Senate for discussing matters requiring secrecy.

The discussions which take place in a closed session are subject to confidentiality rules and are similar to an executive session, which itself can be open or closed. An executive session is for business which includes the President of the United States.

A closed session may be called by any Senator through a simple motion. Once the motion is seconded, the presiding officer of the Senate directs the Capitol police to clear the public galleries of spectators, and close all doors of the chamber. The Senate floor will be cleared of all persons except the Senators and listed parliamentary officers including the Secretary, the Sergeant of Arms, the Parliamentarian, and certain clerks. These officers are sworn to secrecy. All sitting Senators present are called to the floor, and they must surrender any electronic communications equipment including cell phones and handheld devices.

All business is considered secret, including Senatorial remarks, votes, and other parliamentary proceedings. The Senate can vote during the session or later to lift the secrecy, at which time the vote and the session proceedings will be published in the Congressional Record.

If a Senator discloses any of the proceedings except as directed by the Senate, the body can vote for expulsion of the member; any officer that does the same would be subject to dismissal. In extreme cases, the Senate could vote the member or official in contempt of Congress.

History

Closed sessions of the United States Senate

The United States Senate has a provision for meeting in closed session, as described in Rule 21 of the Standing Rules of the Senate. These sessions, which are formally secret, have been held only 54 times since 1929. Here is the full list of those sessions, along with their dates and the reasons they were called:

Reason and date(s)

  • The Plame affair and the Bush administration's role in pre-Iraq War intelligence November 1, 2005
  • Impeachment trial of President Clinton January 25 & 26, 1999
  • Chemical Weapons Treaty April 24, 1997
  • Most favoured nation status for People's Republic of China February 25, 1992
  • Impeachment trial of Judge Walter Nixon November 2, 1989
  • Impeachment trial of Judge Alcee Hastings October 19 & March 16, 1989
  • INF Treaty March 29, 1988
  • Impeachment trial of Judge Harry Claiborne October 7 - 9, 1986
  • Defense Authorization Bill June 12, 1984
  • Soviet Union arms control compliance February 1, 1984
  • Nicaragua April 26, 1983
  • Nominations of Richard Burt and
  • Richard McCormack February 16, 1983
  • U.S./USSR defense capabilities May 4, 1982
  • Armed Forces personnel management February 1, 1980
  • Selective Service registration September 21, 1979
  • Aircraft sales to Middle East May 15, 1978
  • Panama Canal Treaty February 21 & 22, 1978
  • Neutron Bomb July 1, 1977
  • Defense Appropriations - Angola December 17 & 18, 1975
  • Intelligence Activities November 20, 1975
  • Defense Appropriations June 4, 1975
  • Maneuverable reentry vehicle June 10, 1974
  • Trident Submarine September 25, 1973
  • National Security Study May 2 & 4, 1972
  • U.S. involvement in Laos June 7, 1971
  • Legislative Agenda for 91st Congress December 18, 1970
  • Legislative Agenda for 91st Congress September 10, 1970
  • Defense Appropriations December 15, 1969
  • Defense Appropriations July 17, 1969
  • Defense Appropriations October 2, 1968
  • Security Agency oversight July 14, 1966
  • Nike-Zeus production April 11, 1963
  • War Front reports October 7 & 8, 1943
  • Naval battleships and aircraft carriers June 26, 1942
  • William McCracken contempt proceedings February 13 & 14, 1934
  • Mail Contracts investigation February 10, 1934
  • Impeachment of Judge Harold Louderback May 24, 1933

References Dickerson, John (Nov. 1, 2005). "Dirty Harry". Slate. Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Closed_sessions_of_the_United_States_Senate" Category: United States Senate



There have been 54 closed sessions held since 1929. Usually the topic is national security.

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Closed_session_of_the_United_States_Congress&oldid=27185392"